Switzerland Archives

WHO moves mpox response to the next level

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Mpox is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV). Outbreaks result from person-to-person spread through close contact, which may include sexual contact. In some settings outbreaks follow contact with an infected animal or consumption of contaminated meat. The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a new Strategic Framework for enhancing prevention and control of mpox in order to […]

Which factors are relevant for asset prices?

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Professor Audrino analyses the predictive performance of different machine learning based asset pricing models

Much research effort has focused on developing estimation methodologies and models aiming to identify the relevant factors for pricing the cross-section of stock returns, meaning the change in average returns across different stocks. Traditional asset pricing models with many factors can no longer cope with the dimensionality of present-day problems. Moreover, relying on misleading results could end in disastrous financial […]

Phytoremediation: Using native vegetation to stabilise heavy metal contaminants at polluted sites

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Madeleine Günthardt-Goerg and Pierre Vollenweider are researching how the properties of trees can be used to develop sustainable management strategies to phyto-stabilise contamination at metal-polluted sites through phytoremediation.

Elevated concentrations of heavy metals at polluted sites represent serious human health hazards and environmental threats. Persistent metal pollution is hard to remedy but one possible and effective method is phytoremediation, using plants to stabilise the metal pollution and ameliorate the contaminated soil properties. Across 20 years of research, Drs Madeleine Günthardt-Goerg and Pierre Vollenweider of the Swiss Federal Institute […]

Multiple sclerosis: Caregiver involvement may improve patient care and treatment

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Professor Kesselring discusses the positives and negatives surrounding family involvement in the provision of care for people with MS and any potential downsides that may occur as a result.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease with unpredictable progression, causing huge distress to the entire family of people living with the disease. Professor Jürg Kesselring at the Department of Neurology & Neurorehabilitation, Kliniken Valens in Switzerland, reviews the discussions he and other internationally acclaimed neurologists participated in regarding caregiver involvement in doctor consultations for people with MS. Although such an […]

Genetic evidence implicates respiratory muscle dysfunction in SIDS

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Mr Pontus Sirens highlights genetic evidence about the role that respiratory muscles play in the etiology of SIDS, and highlights the importance to investigate how the diaphragm may impact SIDS

The SIDS-Critical Diaphragm Failure (SIDS-CDF) hypothesis posits that all SIDS risk factors either increase the workload of the diaphragm or reduce its force-generating capacity, and that while SIDS has many contributing factors, it has one cause, namely the failure of the vital respiratory pump. Several SIDS risk factors can impair diaphragm function, but especially noteworthy are the prone sleeping position […]

(Un)sustainability in the Swiss fish market

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Research into the sustainability practices and issues with the Swiss fish market and its approach to sustainable aquatic agriculture.

Sustainability of fish as a food is a highly complex issue, especially in a global market with wildly varying measures and priorities in fish production and harvesting. Urs Baumgartner, environmental scientist, and Dr Elisabeth Bürgi Bonanomi, legal scientist and expert in sustainable trade regulation, tried to get a clearer picture of sustainability in the fish market of Switzerland, which imports […]

A novel method shaping the future of oral hygiene

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Researchers have assessed the efficiency and accuracy of various air-polishing devices which are used in GBT treatments for removing oral biofilm, or plaque, and improving oral health

The two leading causes of poor oral health – caries and periodontal disease – affect more than 3.5 billion people. Oral prophylaxis helps to reduce the risk of gum and tooth disease. Minimally invasive and pain-free, Guided Biofilm Therapy (GBT) is a systematic, predictable, and scientifically proven treatment for professional prophylaxis. GBT involves the combination of warm water, air, and […]

Rib fracture pain and disability: Do we need a more aggressive approach after all?

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$Dr Benoît-Bédat investigates the effectiveness of rib-fixation surgery in managing long-term pain in patients with uncomplicated rib fractures$

Rib fractures are the most common injury after thoracic (chest) trauma, accounting for approximately two-thirds of cases. The main challenge in treating them is controlling the associated pain that can lead to complications, such as chest infections and respiratory failure. Despite advances in pain control and anaesthesia, the conservative treatment of these injuries often results in chronic pain, in some […]

Gender equality in oncology: The importance of representation

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Progress in gender equality in oncology is the key to innovation and leads to the best possible patient outcomes.

The field of oncology has a gender imbalance, with women only occupying a small number of leadership positions. So how can we improve gender equality in oncology? Dr Pilar Garrido, Dr Anna Sophie Berghoff, Dr Cristiana Sessa and colleagues, from the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)’s Women for Oncology (W4O) Committee, are monitoring the representation of female oncologists. Through […]

Is the Corona pandemic a gateway to global surveillance?

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For the first time in human history, digital surveillance technologies have allowed governments around the world to monitor almost everyone, almost everywhere, almost all the time. The public has largely accepted such measures as necessary in the fight against the Coronavirus. But are we right to passively accept the abandonment of our right to privacy – a fundamental human right […]